Utah Utes' Development Program is Underrated

© Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that the Utah Utes don’t often make big splashes in recruiting. In fact, the Utes have never secured a five-star recruit, and their recruiting classes are rarely highly ranked.

Despite the lack of big-name prospects, Utah has been one of the highest-ranked schools over the past few years. Going into the Big 12 Conference, the expectations and hype are at an all-time high. Why? It boils down to one thing: player development from the coaches.

Utah Utes' Player Development

Since 2019, the Utes have finished in the Top 25 3 out of 5 years, reaching as high as 5th in the nation one time. That doesn’t sound like a school struggling to recruit top talent. Last season, Utah was hit hard by injuries and didn't finish as a ranked team. Utah had lost star quarterback Cam Rising to injury. In the previous 2 seasons, the Utes team finished ranked 10th and 12th. They also won back-to-back Pac-12 Conference championships.

This level of success doesn't happen without an incredible coaching staff and player development plan. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham may be an underrated coach in college football, a sentiment echoed by players, coaches and college football insiders.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders voiced his respect for Whittingham. “He’s a legend,” Sanders said despite meeting Whittingham only once. Sanders also said he “loves what he’s doing with that program.” He pointed out Utah's strong leadership that has guided the Utes in the right direction.

Other coaches also heaped praise on Whittingham. Former Utah head coach and University of Florida legend Urban Meyer said Whittingham is the best coach in college football. Whittingham and Meyer share some similarities in coaching style. Both are known to bring out the toughness in their players.

Whittingham emphasizes playing with grit and toughness, both on the field and in practice, as key to player development. “If you can’t handle adversity, you’re not going to be very successful,” Whittingham said.

He instills this mentality in his Utah players from Day 1. “I think our guys develop that mentality early on in this program," Whittingham said. "We stress it and emphasize it every single week.”

Utah Players Reach NFL

Utah’s player development program translates from college level into the pros. For instance, in the 2024 NFL Draft, former Utes Cole Bishop, Jonah Elliss, Sione Vaki, Sataoa Laumea and Devaughn Vele were all selected. Keaton Bills, Thomas Yassmin and Miles Battle signed with teams as undrafted free agents.

In 2023, Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid was drafted 25th overall by the Buffalo Bills. Kincaid, coming out of high school, was rated anywhere from 0 to 2 stars. During his time at Utah, Kincaid developed into 1 of the best tight ends in college football.

Take a look at Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Johnson is a product of Utah's player development structure. He was drafted by the Bears in the 2020 NFL Draft. Johnson enters his fifth NFL season.

Last season, he had 31 solo tackles, 4 interceptions, a defensive touchdown and a forced fumble. Johnson was a four-star recruit out of high school, but that doesn't guarantee NFL talent success. His current NFL status is proof that Utah can produce big-league talent regardless of rating. Recently, Johnson signed a four-year contract worth $76 Million.

With a new season on the horizon, Utah has quite the hype train around them. Looking at their roster, fans might not be overly impressed. That's exactly what the program wants. Whittingham wants a bunch of players that will surprise opponents and catch them off-guard.

When it comes to the Big 12 Conference and the Utah Utes, you can keep up with how the season unfolds right here at College Football Dawgs.